The present invention relates to devices for retaining objects and, more particularly, to devices configured for removable attachment to a surface for conveniently retaining hairstyling accessories.
The desirability of providing a holder for a blow dryer or other appliance, especially for accommodating blow dryers of a variety of different shapes and sizes, has been recognized. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,880 to John McDougall discloses a holder having a base, a support arm, and an open frame member for receiving the barrel of a blow dryer. The holder may be rested on a horizontal surface such as a table, or alternatively may be mounted to a wall by engaging a keyhole-shaped slot in its base with a screw head projecting from a wall.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,447 to Dennis Strecker also discloses a blow dryer holding device. The device includes a base that is attached to a vertical support surface (such as a mirror) using suction cups, a pivot projection, and a retainer assembly pivotally connected to the projection with a clevis-shaped rib. The orientation of this device may be adjusted only in one plane.
Devices for holding other types of articles have been developed for coupling to a support surface. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,993 to Jeffrey Hopkins shows a combination paint can support and brush receptacle which is releasably clamped to the side rail of a ladder. A rivet joins the paint can receptacle with the clamping means, so that pivoting about the rivet allows the can support to attain a level position during use. However, the rivet does not allow for adjustment of the horizontal position of the can with respect to the ladder.
Another type of holding device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,650 to Beverly Brandt. This patent shows an adjustable beverage holder for coupling to a folding lounge chair. The beverage holder includes a beverage receptacle, an arm, a fastener for removably attaching a first end of the arm to the folding lounge chair, and a mechanism for adjustably coupling the beverage receptacle to a second end of the arm. Swivel fasteners allow the arm to pivot in a horizontal plane with respect to the chair, and a ball and socket universal joint resists adjustment of the position of the beverage receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,164 to Walter Baucom discloses a device for holding cups, cans, and similar articles in vehicles. The device includes three jointed members, one of which terminates at an end in an expandable plug mounting means that is adapted to be secured into an opening such as a cigarette lighter socket in a car. An adjustable detent-type joint is used to allow rotation of the jointed members with respect to each other in one plane.
Despite the above-described article holder developments, none meets the demands of beauticians in beauty salons that service a wide-variety of customer needs. The beauticians or hairstylists must be able to store a diverse assortment of hairstyling and cosmetic accessories in a convenient but unobtrusive fashion as they work. The beautician has a diversified workload, engaging in such activities as hair cutting, shaving, hair coloring, bleaching, frosting, highlighting, perming, french braiding, corn rowing, eye brow thinning, and other styling tasks. Thus, the beautician must have access to such varied hairstyling accessories as scissors, combs, brushes, hair dryers, razors, trimmers, clippers with variable-sized blade attachments, tweezers, roller sets, curling irons, dyes, and other hair and/or scalp treatment liquids, gels, and foams. Additionally, such other indispensable items as barrettes, hair clips, and bobby pins are regularly used. Because clientele have a wide range of needs, modern hairstyling and cosmetology professionals are challenged to maintain equipment and other essentials in an efficient manner at a convenient, accessible location as they work.
The many electrical appliances used in salons also present a safety hazard, as contact with water can cause the user to suffer a severe electrical shock. Water can pool on countertops and thus it is not desirable to place appliances such as hair dryers on a countertop for storage when not in use. Moreover, such countertop areas typically are also very cluttered with other objects, so that beauticians are forced to temporarily hold the hair dryer between their legs or obtain assistance from another individual while performing tasks that require use of both hands.
The holder disclosed in the patent to McDougall does not allow convenient storage of multiple accessories, and is not readily positioned near the beautician for ready access during performance of an activity. The other above-described patents only disclose holders with a limited range of orientation adjustment. Greater adjustability and readier, more convenient mounting for use in a salon are desirable.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a holder that can be positioned close to a stylist, yet is adjustable to meet the needs of different stylists. There also exists a need for a hairstyling accessory holder with a universal clamp for gripping arcuate as well as sharp-edged surfaces, and a receptacle having position adjustment means.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a holder for supporting and holding at least one article relative to and spaced apart from a support surface is provided. The holder includes a receptacle, a clamp configured to couple the receptacle to the support surface, and an adjustable coupling arm coupled between the receptacle and the clamp. The coupling arm is coupled to the receptacle at a receptacle coupling joint and to the clamp at a clamp coupling joint. Both the receptacle coupling joint and the clamp coupling joint permit movement in more than one plane. In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the coupling joints is a ball joint. Preferably, both of the coupling joints are ball joints. The coupling arm may be formed with first and second connector elements. The first and second connector elements each have first and second ends, with the second end of the first connector element and the second end of the second connector element rotatably coupled together. A transition member may be coupled between the first and second connector elements. The first and second connector elements preferably are coupled to the transition member for rotation about the transition member longitudinal axis.
Preferably, a first lock is provided for fixing relative movement between the coupling arm and the receptacle, and a second lock is provided for fixing relative movement between the coupling arm and the clamp. If the coupling arm includes first and second connector elements with a transition member therebetween, then locks for fixing relative movement of the connector elements with respect to the transition member may also be provided.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method of coupling a receptacle configured for holding hairstyling accessories to a hairstylist chair. The method includes the steps of providing a receptacle configured for holding hairstyling accessories with a coupling arm, coupling the coupling arm to a first portion of the hairstylist chair, and adjusting the coupling arm and the receptacle to move the receptacle adjacent a second portion of the hairstylist chair. Preferably, the method further includes the steps of coupling the coupling arm to the arm of the hairstylist chair and moving the receptacle to immediately adjacent the back of the chair. The method may also include the steps of adjusting the position of the receptacle relative to the chair both in a horizontal and a vertical plane.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a clamp configured for securely being clamped to an arm of a hairstylist chair is also provided. The clamp includes a first jaw having a first clamping surface and a second jaw having a second clamping surface. The first and second jaws are coupled together with the first and second clamping surfaces facing each other for movement relative to each other. The first clamping surface is arcuately shaped with a radius of curvature selected to engage the upper surface of an arm of most, if not all, hairstylist chairs, and the second clamping surface is arcuately shaped with a radius of curvature selected to engage the lower surface of an arm of most, if not all, hairstylist chairs.
In a preferred embodiment, the second clamping surface includes a pair of outer arcuate surfaces straddling an inner arcuate surface. The outer arcuate surfaces have a first radius of curvature, and the inner arcuate surface has a second radius of curvature. Preferably, the first radius of curvature is larger than the second radius of curvature so that the outer arcuate surfaces and the inner arcuate surface may engage differently configured surfaces.
The present invention is also directed to a holder for supporting and holding at least one article relative to and spaced apart from a support surface. The holder includes a hollow receptacle configured to receive and hold at least one article, and a coupling arm coupled to the receptacle and configured for coupling to a support surface. The receptacle has a longitudinal axis and first and second open ends along the longitudinal axis. The coupling arm is coupled to the receptacle at a position along the receptacle longitudinal axis closer to the first end than the second end. The receptacle may be rotated about the coupling arm between a first position, in which the receptacle longitudinal axis is vertical and the first end is positioned above the coupling arm at a first height, and a second position, in which the receptacle longitudinal axis is vertical and the second end is positioned above the coupling arm at a second height higher than the first height. The receptacle is positioned for holding an article by positioning the receptacle with an open end above the coupling arm and by placing a cap on the receptacle end below the coupling arm to form an interior holding chamber within the receptacle with a bottom support surface provided by the cap. Preferably, the cap is configured for detachable connection to either of the first and second ends of the receptacle, depending on the orientation of the receptacle, to form the bottom support surface of the interior holding chamber within the receptacle. The cap preferably has a plurality of detents along a periphery thereof for engagement with corresponding receiving elements, such as grooves, on the interior surface of the receptacle. The cap is thus readily attachable and detachable to the first or second end of the receptacle.
Preferably, the cap is vented. The cap may be provided with a screen element, or a plurality of apertures may be formed in the cap to provide ventilation to the interior of the receptacle. The holder may further include a gasket on the open end of the receptacle positioned above the coupling arm.
The receptacle may also include a holding bowl shaped and configured for placement within the open end of the receptacle to hold articles significantly smaller than the interior of the receptacle, and/or a bowl adapted for attachment to a side of the receptacle to hold articles significantly smaller than the interior of the receptacle.